December Author Feature: Havelah McLat
This month, I’m honored to feature Havelah McLat, an author and writer of many genres: Inspirational stories, contemporary clean romance, and adventure stories. Her winter romance, When You Returned, is available now. Please enjoy my author interview with Havelah McLat!
Once a renowned skater, Jaclyn is now a single mother, working at the beloved skating rink in a small town in Colorado that has been in her family for generations. When the rink is at risk of being lost, she looks for help from professionals.
The last person she expects to help them get back on their feet is Lavern, an old flame from high school.
After running from grief over the loss of his brother eight years ago, Lavern is back in town on assignment from a company that helps struggling businesses. Assigned to help the rink recover, he now must face the girl he once loved and left behind.
Together, Lavern and Jaclyn are the only hope to save her family's rink. But confronting the pain of the past might be more than they can imagine.
Genre: Clean romance, small town, winter romance
How do you find time to write?
I stay at home, so I have a lot of time on my hands to write.
What is the best time of day for you to write?
I like to write in the morning because I feel like I get things done then. I write in the evening. I try to write when I feel inspired and motivated. I don’t have a specific routine.
How long does it take you to write a book?
It depends on the project. I am very much an underwriter and tend to write shorter stories. I have never been one of the people who writes 70k to 150k manuscripts. Some projects take between one to a few months to write. When You Returned took me about a year and one month to write. But the story itself was written nine years ago. I happened to completely write between late 2021 till it was published Spring 2023.
Does writing energize you or exhaust you?
Though I enjoyed writing and how it energized me to keep going, I also learned the hard lesson about being burnt out from writing. I practically didn’t write anything for at least six months or so. I did recover from it and started writing again, but I took things more easily and tried to find balance when it comes to different projects.
Do you believe in writer’s block?
Yes, I do. I know some say it means you are afraid to keep going but I don't think that is the case. Sometimes forcing the story out is making things more harder than it already is. We need time to let the story develop and keep on brainstorming and it will come out eventually.
Have you ever gotten reader’s block?
I think I have. Sometimes I don’t know what to read next. I tend to be a picky reader. I think it happens to all of us once a while when we are not in the mood to read.
What’s your favorite under-appreciated novel?
Traveler by Melanie Bateman, Through the Shadowlands: The Love Story of C. S. Lewis and Joy Davidman, The Enchanted Sonata.
What one thing would you give up to become a better writer?
Art. I am an artist, not professional, but that is one thing I enjoy doing way before I became a writer.
If you could tell your younger self anything, what would it be?
Stop comparing yourself to others and not worry about how many books you published a year or whatever. Don’t rush through. Quality is better than quantity. Plus, enjoy the process and never stop learning.
Havelah McLat grew up on a small farm in rural Ohio with her family. As a kid, she spent hours drawing and then crafting short stories to go along with her illustrations. As she got older, her passion grew to write stories about the world, faith, and topics that matter the most to her. She has written several short fictions that have been featured in different anthologies. When she isn’t writing, she reads books, draws, helps with activity events in her local church and community, and spends time with her family.
You can follow her on Social Media
Instagram @havelahmclatwriter
Amazon Author Page (where all her books are available) @havelahmclatauthor
Goodreads @havelahmclat
Visit her website havelahmclat.wixsite.com/home and sign up for newsletter to get free download short story.